25 Mar, 2008
Surprise! I'm alive!
Man declared dead feels 'pretty good'
OKLAHOMA CITY - Four months after he was declared brain dead and doctors were about to remove his organs for transplant, Zach Dunlap says he feels "pretty good."
Dunlap was pronounced dead Nov. 19 at United Regional Healthcare System in Wichita Falls, Texas, after he was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident. His family approved having his organs harvested.
As family members were paying their last respects, he moved his foot and hand. He reacted to a pocketknife scraped across his foot and to pressure applied under a fingernail. After 48 days in the hospital, he was allowed to return home, where he continues to work on his recovery.
On Monday, he and his family were in New York, appearing on NBC's "Today."
"I feel pretty good. but it's just hard ... just ain't got the patience," Dunlap said.
Dunlap, 21, of Frederick, said he has no recollection of the crash.
"I remember a little bit that was about an hour before the accident happened. But then about six hours before that, I remember," he said.
Dunlap said one thing he does remember is hearing the doctors pronounce him dead.
"I'm glad I couldn't get up and do what I wanted to do," he said.
Asked if he would have wanted to get up and shake them and say he's alive, Dunlap responded: "Probably would have been a broken window that went out."
His father, Doug, said he saw the results of the brain scan.
"There was no activity at all, no blood flow at all."
Zach's mother, Pam, said that when she discovered he was still alive, "That was the most miraculous feeling."
"We had gone, like I said, from the lowest possible emotion that a parent could feel to the top of the mountains again," she said.
She said her son is doing "amazingly well," but still has problems with his memory as his brain heals from the traumatic injury.
"It may take a year or more ... before he completely recovers," she said. "But that's OK. It doesn't matter how long it takes. We're just all so thankful and blessed that we have him here."
photo & story courtesy news.yahoo.com, 3/24/08
John 20:19-20 (NLT)
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!
John 16:29-33 (NLT)
29 Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. 30 Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.”
31 Jesus asked,
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about the evidence for Christ's resurrection and why we can count on Him?
Put yourself in the sandals of the disciples. You've been hiding out for a few days since the crucifixion of your Master, wondering if maybe you're next? You're devastated because you don't know if everything Jesus told you is really going to happen?
Then suddenly, there's Jesus standing next to you - alive from the dead! Aren't you sort of glad to hear the words, "Peace be with you."? If you passed out, maybe Jesus repeats these great words when you wake up!
At what point do you think the disciples remembered what Jesus told them about the peace He could provide for them in a troubled world?
The words spoken by Jesus in John 16:33 now took on new meaning, because Jesus had risen from the grave! We too should have courage in spite of life's troubles, because Jesus will not abandon us to go it alone. If we remember that Jesus defeated death and hell, we can count on the peace of Christ in the most difficult times of life.
Remember that He promises us that we can find peace in Him - no matter what happens in our lives - because He has overcome the world!
Today, there's a family in Oklahoma celebrating that their son is miraculously alive! As the family of God, we can celebrate every day the fact that the Son of God is alive! Plus, even though we will die some day - we will be resurrected with Christ forever!
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Thank God that the resurrection of Jesus Christ proves that we can count on the promises that Jesus gave - including His peace. Tell your Heavenly Father right now whatever is troubling you the most. He already knows, but He wants you to come to Him for comfort and strength. Thank Jesus that even though your trials and suffering may not go away, He won't either. His victory over Satan will eventually bring you peace. Praise Jesus that you can leave everything in His...
- Make of a list of your troubles and prayerfully give it up to Jesus every day. Wait on the Lord to give you peace and write down what He teaches you, right next to each problem.
- Memorize John 16:33 to remind you of Christ's victory and peace.
picture courtesy images.google.com
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
Use today's story about the guy in Oklahoma coming alive after being declared "dead" as a conversation starter with your friends and family who need Jesus. Talk about what if must have felt like for this guy's family and friends when he came back to life. Talk about today's God's Story scripture and what it must have felt like for Christ's followers after He came back to life. Listen carefully to their comments and let Jesus lead you in the conversation.
- May 2008 [7]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [19]
- January 2008 [21]
- December 2007 [20]
- November 2007 [19]
- October 2007 [20]
- September 2007 [19]
- August 2007 [20]
- July 2007 [18]
- June 2007 [19]
- May 2007 [19]
- April 2007 [13]
- March 2007 [17]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [9]
- December 2006 [6]
- November 2006 [15]
- October 2006 [18]
- September 2006 [12]
- August 2006 [17]
- July 2006 [14]
- June 2006 [4]
